Services

ARD and Geochemistry

Robertson GeoConsultants Inc. provides a full suite of technical services related to geochemistry and acid rock drainage (ARD) such as field investigations including site characterization, drilling, monitoring well installation, water quality sampling and monitoring, laboratory testing, interpretation and prediction as well as engineering and management for contaminant control. Our staff has experience with a vast range of field and laboratory sampling and testing methods and is familiar with local and international guidelines and regulations pertaining to water quality and sampling. RGC has developed an expertise in geochemistry and ARD evaluations. We routinely employ computer-aided techniques for interpretation of results, including equilibrium speciation modeling and transport modeling for conservative and reactive species.

RGC integrates the geochemical and ARD expertise and site specific knowledge with our understanding of hydrological and hydrogeological systems and mining operations in order to assist our clients with mine waste and water management, mine closure planning, risk and liability assessments and development of contaminant control measures to minimize impacts and costs as a result of geochemical and ARD issues.

Audit and Review for Mines

RGC personnel have participated in numerous audits and reviews of mines for:

• environmental liability assessments
• stability and safety of major geotechnical structures
• pollution and contamination surveys
• closure requirements and liability
• completeness of baseline surveys and adequacy of contaminant source characterization and controls
• financial institutions prior to funding mining projects

These audits and reviews have been completed as individual inspections or involving multidisciplinary teams of geotechnical and mining engineers, geochemists, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists to suit the project complexity and liability risk requirements.

RGC also perform regular reviews and inspections of operating and closed mines, and serve on Review Boards for a number of mining companies. The Review Boards that Dr. Robertson is, or has served on are listed here.

Contaminant Control

Consulting and engineering services are provided for characterization and remediation of all types of contaminant plumes (including inorganic, organic, and radiogenic contaminants). This includes site investigation by drilling of boreholes; installation and sampling of single and multilevel piezometers; water quality analysis; modelling of contaminant plume migration using state-of-the-art modelling tools; contaminant control analysis and interception design.

Decision Analysis

Multi-stakeholder decision making services are provided to address the ever increasing requirements for sustainable development and long-term land use planning for new mining projects as well as for mines currently being closed. Public and stakeholder interests in a mining project are often different from that of the mining company resulting in conflicts during permitting and operations. Processes for technical exchange, alternative analysis which provides for opinions of all stakeholders, and conflict resolution through engagement are important for successful project development. The Multiple Accounts Analysis (or MAA) has been developed to provide a platform and communication tool for the multi-disciplinary issues involved with such decision making.

Environmental Engineering

Engineering services are provided to develop or remediate mines to current environmental standards. Environmental problems and solutions usually involve a combination of technologies, including geochemistry, geotechnics, hydrogeology, hydrology, acid mine drainage, water chemistry and contaminant transport, land use, revegetation, and a thorough understanding of regulatory requirements together with the engineering options and controls that may be applicable. Environmental engineering services provided include site assessments to determine if environmental problems exist or could develop, evaluations of alternative control measures and the design and construction supervision of mine waste storage facilities and specific environmental protection measures (e.g. covers, liners).

Expert Testimony

Our geotechnical experts assist law firms and insurance companies with the investigation and mitigation of mining hazards, mining exploration, and development. 

Geotechnical Engineering

Consulting and engineering services are provided for all aspects of geotechnical engineering for mines. This includes site investigation by drilling or test pits, laboratory testing, analysis, designs, report preparation, construction supervision, project review and experts services and testimony.

Groundwater Impact Assessment

Mining operations may impact local groundwater systems due to mine dewatering, groundwater extraction (for milling) and/or seepage and contaminant migration from mine waste units (backfilled open pits, waste rock piles and/or tailings dams). Robertson GeoConsultants Inc. is an international leader in assessing groundwater impacts due to mining.

Groundwater impact assessments may range from a desktop study/review of available information to a complex hydrogeological study involving site characterization (drilling, well installations, hydraulic testing), groundwater monitoring and/or groundwater flow and solute transport modeling.

Robertson GeoConsultants Inc. has expertise in these technical areas and can tailor the scope of the groundwater impact assessment to your project needs.

Hydrogeology

Robertson GeoConsultants Inc. (RGC) provides a full suite of technical services related to field investigations including drilling, monitoring well installation, hydraulic testing, water level monitoring and water quality sampling. Our staff has experience with all major drilling and well installation methods and is familiar with local and international guidelines and regulations pertaining to groundwater monitoring and sampling. RGC has developed an expertise in hydraulic testing ranging from single borehole testing (slug test, single well pump test or packer testing) to full-scale pump tests of larger aquifers. We routinely employ computer-aided techniques for interpretation of well testing, including 3D groundwater flow modeling for interpretation of full-scale aquifer pump tests.

RGC provides a range of groundwater modeling services related to water management and aquifer remediation. Our modeling team is experienced with a wide range of numerical modeling techniques and commercial modeling software packages giving us flexibility to select the modeling approach most suited to project objectives. We offer modeling services ranging in scope and scale from infiltration through the uppermost, unsaturated zone to deep, regional groundwater flow in large aquifer systems. Groundwater flow and transport models are often integrated with hydrological and/or geochemical models to provide the correct boundary conditions. The results of field investigations and numerical modeling are commonly used in environmental assessments, development of groundwater protection and/or remediation strategies and design of monitoring programs.

Hydrology

Robertson GeoConsultants Inc. provides a full suite of technical services related to hydrological field investigations including field sampling and monitoring. We offer modeling services ranging in scope and scale from solute transport in streams and rivers to infiltration through the uppermost, unsaturated zone. The results of field investigations and numerical modeling are commonly used in environmental assessments, development of surface water protection and/or remediation strategies and design of monitoring programs.

Mine Closure Planning

There has been a significant increase in the involvement of NGO’s and regulators in closure planning, tightening of criteria by which closure plan success is judged and increasing the costs of closure planning, closure measures and closure liability. RGC has developed a specialization in mine closure planning and closure planning leadership.
Services are provided for the preparation of mine reclamation and closure plans including assessment of pre-mining conditions, mine development impacts, long term physical and chemical stability of mine structures, design of reclamation and closure measures, and monitoring requirements. Guidance in long-term strategy planning is also provided to address closure needs as early in the mine lifecycle as technically and financially reasonable, in addition to the calculation of financial assurance and bonding funds.

Mine Waste Management

Mine waste management services are provided to address the ever increasing requirements for such wastes to be placed in stable structures to prevent yielding of contaminated drainage and to allow their long term reclamation to meet suitable land-use criteria.

Numerical Modeling

Consulting and engineering services are provided in numerical modeling for a variety of geoscience disciplines: hydrogeology/hydrology, geochemistry and slope stability (geotechnics). Typical modeling in hydrogeologic investigations involve groundwater flow and contaminant transport, modeling of watershed runoff, cover modeling and seepage modeling in unsaturated zones. Geochemical models also help in understanding the complex chemical and mineralogical processes effecting the environment. Slope and rock stability represent another aspect of modeling activity related to tailings dams, pit walls, and other problematics.

Modeling packages licensed to RGC: Groundwater Modeling System (GMS), MODFLOW (FD), MODPATH, MT3D, FEFLOW, SEEP/W, HYDRUS, SOILCOVER, HELP, MINTEQ, PHREEQE/PHREEQM, SLOPE/W

Mineralogical Characterization

Consulting and engineering services are provided for characterization of mine waste materials with respect to Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) prediction. This includes: site investigation and sampling; sample preparation; petrographic analysis; scanning electron microscopy (SEM); x-ray diffractometry (XRD); electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and report preparation.

Pit Slope Engineering for Mines

Dr. Robertson wrote his PhD thesis on the topic of rock slope engineering and has continued to practice in the area through out his career. He has written a number of additional papers on the subject. His experience in rock slope engineering and included numerous projects covering the following services:

• supervision of drilling and core logging for rock material, joint and fault characteristics definition
• ground water and phreatic surface investigations, including piezometer installation and monitoring
• in-situ instrumentation installation and monitoring for stress and deformation monitoring and testing
• laboratory testing for rock and soil material characteristic determination
• stability analysis for soil and rock slopes
• design of pit slopes for interim and final pit walls

Risk & Liability Assessments

Almost every aspect of the mining industry involves numerous uncertainties and risks. Understanding and properly handling uncertainty and risk are crucial skills that can make the difference between success and failure. Robertson GeoConsultants Inc understands the methods used to determine the expected profitability of a project and makes the proper business decisions, with an emphasis on the practical application of the techniques. Analytical methods to weigh the costs, benefits and risks of projects are used, including the use of decision trees, probability distributions and simulations.

Environmental and closure liability assessments are performed to provide mining companies, financial institutions or government agencies with an estimates of potential environmental and closure liabilities the mine sites.

Seepage Control in Tailings Impoundments and Waste Rock Piles

Consulting and engineering services are provided for all aspects of seepage characterization and control in tailings impoundments. This includes: site investigation by drilling or test pits as well as borehole testing; modeling of infiltration and seepage using state-of-the-art modeling tools; analysis, design and report preparation.

Tailings Dam Design

Engineering and consulting services are offered for the investigation, design, operations optimization, remediation and closure of tailings dams. Experience has been gained through the design and construction of  tailings impoundments including those constructed of tailings, earth, mine rock and concrete using downstream, centerline and upstream methods. Facilities have been designed for the handling, transportation and placement of dry (dewatered) tailings, cycloned tailings and slurries by a variety of spigotted (subaerial and sub aqueous) systems.

Water Management

Consulting and engineering services are provided for all aspects of mine related surface and groundwater management. This includes: site investigation by drilling, borehole testing, modelling of groundwater flow regime using state-of-the-art modelling tools; analysis, designs and report preparation. Also, water balance studies, contaminant transport and fate analysis, and preparation of designs to minimize or maximize water use or containment.

RGC Statement of Qualification for Hydrogeological Experience